So was last week's poser too easy? Or did we just stump you? The lines about the auspicious events of 1898 were John Ashbery's, from his poem "Memories of Imperialism" collected in Your name here (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2000). Moving swiftly on, then, here's our latest DDC-related literary extract. All we're asking for from you is the source. Actually, just to ramp up the excitement to almost unbearable levels, this week we're also inviting you to append to your response an expression of your admiration or contempt (as the case may be) for the work in question. A mini-review, if you will. Amazon®, eat your heart out!
Dinty pulled another card. "629.134. I repeat --"
Ting.
Mr. P.'s leathery hand tapped a bell plunger. "Jet engines?"
"Jet engines is correct,*" said Dinty crisply. "But I caution you to wait to be called upon. I shall give you points this time. I won't be so generous in the future. Now for the bonus, Mr. Paradis. 629.134 ... 3537. To repeat: 629.1343537."
Mr. Paradis tugged on a strap of his overalls. "May I?"
"Go on."
"That'd be fan-jet engines."
"Correct again."
Amid raucous cheering, Norton and I ducked out of the Reading Room to repatriate The Book of Hours.
* Editor's note: Actually, 629.134 is for comprehensive works on aircraft components; works on jet engines go down in 629.134353.
Could it be The Grand Complication. This was one of my favorite stories when I was young. My father used to read it to me at bedtime when I tired of recitations of the DDS.
Posted by: Baby Zacky | 07 October 2005 at 09:26 PM
DDS? Do you mean the DDC?
Posted by: Sarah | 07 October 2005 at 09:28 PM
It is indeed from Allen Kurzweil's hilarious The Grand Complication, specifically the Class Warfare game played at an annual party, where they have to come up with Dewey numbers off the top of their heads for subjects like "services to unwed mothers in Algeria."
Posted by: Misha Schutt | 10 October 2005 at 12:37 PM